Auer Festival, Veszprém

Leopold Auer, one of the most influential pedagogues of 20th-century violin art, was born in Veszprém, where he received support to start his uniquely successful career. 

The festival honouring him brings world-famous artists to his hometown, the foremost performers on the international concert circuit.  

Over the past years, the festival audience has listened to the music of, among others, Gidon Kremer, Maxim Vengerov, Vadim Repin, Mischa Maisky, the Borodin String Quartet, Yuri Bashmet, Vadim Gluzman, Zoltán Kocsis, Kristóf Baráti, Erika Miklósa, Péter Frankl, Tamás Vásáry, Barnabás Kelemen, Dezső Ránki, the Keller Quartet, the Kodály Quartet, and the Auer Trio. Jazz and popular music stars Mark O'Connor, Gilles Apap, Kálmán Oláh, Mihály Borbély, Roby Lakatos, Aleksey Igudesman, Jánoska Ensemble, Klezmatics, Félix Lajkó and János Balázs also played at the festival. 

The festival works in a format that not only "imports" the performers but also builds bridges to Veszprém’s music and cultural life, artists who work and create here, and music students. The city’s Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra is not only the resident orchestra of the festival but a partner to the world-famous artists who come here.  

In addition to the superstars, internationally acclaimed young artists on the brink of a great career are invited and introduced. Whether just starting out or still studying, young musicians have an opportunity to learn and perform at the international master-class series - the Auer Academy. 

By 2023, the festival will not only offer concerts in the summer, but in the spring, autumn, and winter, with new sections and divisions. New concert formats will be introduced that year. They will target new audiences with programmes and co-arts to make classical music both more accessible and to a more significant number of people.